The conference allowed people from those areas to discuss their experiences of organised crime with stakeholders from the Scottish Government, Police Scotland, the third sector and others. Topics ranged from how vulnerable migrant groups can be better identified and supported through to addressing vulnerability.

The findings from the day are currently being compiled and will be discussed in detail at October’s meeting of the Taskforce, chaired by Humza Yousaf MSP, the new Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

Firearms surrender campaign

More than 1,500 illegal or unwanted firearms, air weapons and ammunition lots are now off the streets of Scotland.

Police Scotland has seized a total of 474 firearms, 690 air weapons and 337 lots of ammunition during its two-week surrender campaign. ‎Significant weapons handed into stations across the country include a machine gun, AK47 assault rifle and a World War 1 pistol.

The Scottish Government will work with leading third and private sector organisations to increase awareness of cyber threats and to promote good practice to defend against them, with a strong focus on practical steps to support smaller organisations.

Half a million pounds will also be available from the autumn to help organisations achieve the National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Essentials certification, which helps protect against the most common forms of internet-borne cyber attacks.

Former Justice Secretary Michael Matheson also announced in June that a cyber-crime hub is being set up in the north-east of Scotland, as part of Police Scotland’s overall investment in tackling cyber crime.

HMRC officers seized the cigarettes, worth around £1.3 million in lost duty and taxes.

SOC Prevention Course

Police Scotland is warning universities and colleges not to fall victim to the risks posed by serious organised crime.

A period of growth for the higher and further education sectors, with some institutions investing millions of pounds in new building projects and developments, can leave organisations vulnerable to the risk of money laundering, fraud and cyber crime.

Officers based in the Scottish Crime Campus visited the University of Strathclyde in June to deliver a SOC prevention course for the sector. Around 70 delegates from institutions across the country attended, representing professional services including finance, procurement, estates, information technology, risk and audit.

Fraud prevention

A Fraud Day of Action was held in Aberdeen in June in response to community concerns. Specialist fraud officers gave information and advice about all types of fraud including telephone fraud (vishing) and online fraud (phishing) and highlight how the public can protect themselves from this type of crime.

Officers also attended the Royal Highland Show in June, along with staff from the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, to deliver cyber crime prevention surgeries. The presentations were specifically targeted at people working in the agricultural community, who can be particularly at risk at certain times of the year when farm subsidy payments are made.

A number of properties and vehicles in South Lanarkshire and Glasgow were searched in June and cocaine and heroin, three firearms and a quantity of ammunition were recovered. A number of vehicles have also been confiscated by police.

The men appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and were remanded in custody.

Kurt D’Cruz, 28, Gilbert MacLellan, 60, and Darren McKelvie, 28, each admitted three charges of being involved in the supply of drugs. Cocaine worth more than £400,000 and cannabis worth £60,000 were recovered from properties in Dundee in April last year.

In a separate case Thomas Dymond was jailed for more than three years in June after he admitted being involved in the supply of cannabis worth more than £330,000.

In a third case, two brothers who imported £180,000 of cannabis have been sentenced. James Goldsmith (aka James Woods) and Jack Goldsmith tried to smuggle 18kg of cannabis into Prestwick Airport on a flight from Malaga in January this year.

Proceeds of crime

A man discovered with 38 cannabis plants in Stirling has been ordered to repay more than £82,000. Brian Smillie, 40, had adapted a garage to hide the cannabis cultivation. He was given six months to pay the money at Falkirk Sheriff Court in July.

In a separate case, a man caught with nearly 5kg of cannabis was given a confiscation order for £79,835 in July. Ervis Ineri, 34, was caught with the drugs and five mobile phones in Renfrew in January.

Wayne Evans, 35, was ordered to repay £42,000 in July. Evans, of Bellshill, was found with cocaine and ecstacy in his car in 2015 and then more controlled drugs in his house the following year.

Drug seizures

Two men have appeared in court after cannabis worth more than £250,000 was recovered from a house in Aberdeen. The 24 year old and 35 year old were arrested after a cultivation was uncovered on 3 July.

Five people have appeared in court after heroin with a potential street value of £180,000 was seized in Fife. Intelligence-led searches of properties in Burntisland and Kirkcaldy were carried out in June.

Class A drugs worth more than £120,000 has been recovered after searches of three flats in Edinburgh. A total of £5,400 cash was also recovered from the properties. A 29-year-old man was arrested and appeared in court on 19 July in connection with the offices.

Officers targeted an area in Fife over several days in June, trying to identify individuals breaking the law by collecting large quantities of shellfish, in particular, razor clams, which are protected under the Sea Fisheries Act 2017.

The scheme raises money by recycling the fake products in prison workshops where they are either rebranded, shredded or cut into rags. The money is then used in schemes which help disabled and disadvantaged people gain employment, training and sporting opportunities.

]]>https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2018/08/01/taskforce-update-june-july-2018/feed/0Taskforce update – April & May 2018https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2018/05/31/taskforce-update-april-may-2018/
https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2018/05/31/taskforce-update-april-may-2018/#respondThu, 31 May 2018 09:52:07 +0000https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/?p=236A summary of some of the work being done by partners to keep Scotland’s communities safe. The work falls under four strands – Deter, Divert, Detect and Disrupt. Early intervention service Action for Children Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention Service has secured funding to continue its work for the next three years....

]]>A summary of some of the work being done by partners to keep Scotland’s communities safe. The work falls under four strands – Deter, Divert, Detect and Disrupt.

Early intervention service

Action for Children Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention Service has secured funding to continue its work for the next three years.

Over the next three years the service will work with around 250 young people on the cusp of organised crime and their families. Action for Children Scotland works in collaboration with partner agencies including Big Lottery Fund, Glasgow City Council, Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.

A recent study by the local authority found 71% of young people who have used the early intervention service were kept out of secure care for at least six months during involvement with the programme.

Banking Protocol

Nearly half a million pounds of fraud has been prevented in Scotland thanks to a ground-breaking partnership between the banking industry, law enforcement and Trading Standards.

The Banking Protocol was introduced in Scotland on 5 March, after a national rollout across the UK began last May. The fraud prevention scheme enables bank staff to contact police if they suspect a customer is in the process of being scammed, with an immediate blue light response sent to the branch.

Since its introduction in Scotland, 76 victims have been prevented from losing a total of over £450,000, and two people have also been arrested in connection with such scams.

VAT fraud arrests

Two men have been arrested as part of an investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) into a suspected £12 million VAT fraud.

HMRC officers searched two residential addresses in the Glasgow area on Thursday 10 May. Several items, including mobile phones, laptops and computers were seized from the addresses and two men, aged 60 and 45, have been arrested.

Officers from Police Scotland working in intelligence, roads policing, rural crime and command & control also attended the meeting, which is aimed at improving the processes within the police and the industry. The group is considering the crime recording process, refreshing the safe load scheme and guidance documents on high value loads.

In most cases victims have received a phone call from someone pretending to work at their bank, and are told that fraudulent activity within the organisation is being investigated. The victim is asked to move substantial amounts of money into foreign accounts for safe-keeping and not to report the call for fear of ruining the investigation.

Detective Inspector Iain McPhail, of the Economic Crime and Financial Investigation Unit, said: “Scams like these are completely sickening, with the criminal at the other end of the phone having no regard for their victim and the devastation their actions will cause. Pension pots and retirement funds can be stolen within a matter of minutes, with hard-earned savings wiped out without warning.”

Catherine Leahy served on a jury in a drug trafficking and money laundering trial which returned a not proven verdict in April 2016 following three days of deliberation.

A police investigation was instructed after information was passed to Crown Office staff regarding an alleged bribe to a juror.

Police and Crimestoppers partnership

Police Scotland has linked up with independent charity Crimestoppers to help tackle serious and organised crime groups in Glasgow by encouraging people to speak up 100% anonymously.

Officers will be taking to the streets with Crimestoppers postcards and handing them out to local businesses in efforts to gain valuable information which will assist in enquiries into criminal groups.

David Hunter from Crimestoppers said, “We are asking the public to speak up anonymously if they suspect or know someone involved in serious and organised criminal activity. We urge anyone who has information about who is involved to contact us 100% anonymously. We do not take personal details and we can’t trace information given to us by phone or online. No-one will ever know you contacted us.”

NCA assessment on organised crime

The 2018 National Strategic Assessment (NSA), which draws intelligence from UK law enforcement, government departments, the intelligence community and the private and voluntary sectors, has been published.

The assessment provides evidence that the scale and complexity of organised crime continues to grow despite notable operational successes.

The NSA highlights overlaps and links between all threat types. It also emphasises that criminals are abusing technology and the impact of globalisation to adapt their methods of committing crime. They operate as part of groups, networks and as individuals.

Campaign to end illegal puppy farming

Animal charities, trading standards and the Scottish Government have joined forces to launch a new campaign aimed at bringing an end to the “evil” puppy farming business.

Sales of pups from illegal factories are estimated to have netted £13 million in Scotland last year alone.

The new Say No To Puppy Dealers website has the backing of the Scottish Government, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, the RSPCA, Battersea Dogs trusts, Trading Standards Scotland, the Blue Cross, OneKind, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) and the University of Edinburgh.

Drug seizures

Two people have appeared in court after class A and B drugs worth nearly £200,000 were seized in Fife. Cocaine, amphetamine, ecstasy and MDMA were seized from a car on 3 May. A man and woman, both aged 28, were arrested and appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court the following day.

A 22-year-old man has appeared in court following recovery of a cannabis cultivation worth around £380,000. The recovery was made on 29 April at a rural property in New Aberdour. The man appeared in Peterhead Sheriff Court on 1 May.

Separately a 42-year-old man has appeared in court after class-A drugs worth more than £200,000 were recovered in Aberdeen in April.

Craig Samson tried to have the Glock handgun sent to Scotland hidden inside a loudspeaker. US Homeland Security intercepted the parcel, which was addressed to Samson’s home in Glasgow, at Newark Airport, New Jersey in March 2017.

No More Ransom

Police Scotland has become the first UK police force to become a supporting partner of the No More Ransom Initiative, after cooperation between Police Scotland and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3).

This means Police Scotland has a dedicated link between the No More Ransom home page, where advice and partner information can be viewed, and their own website where crime can be reported.

The No More Ransom portal was launched on 25 July 2016, by the Dutch National Police, Europol, Intel Security and Kaspersky Lab, introducing a new level of cooperation between law enforcement and the private sector to fight ransomware together. Its aim is to provide a helpful resource for victims of ransomware, allowing them to get their files back without paying the criminals.

Counterfeit shopping online

Police Scotland officers are working in partnership with the Intellectual Property Office to reinforce the need to ensure security while spending your cash online.

An animated game show based on cases investigated by Police Scotland has been developed to highlight the dangers of shopping online without taking proper steps to protect your security.

It comes after a major brand identified around 2,700 websites on the .uk network selling counterfeit items of their goods. More than 200 of these sites were registered in Scotland.

Michael Carroll, 34, Lee Curtin, 42, and Donald Gray, 50, were involved in the supply of heroin, cocaine and cannabis worth more than £260,000.

The gang were sentenced to a total of nearly 11 years in jail in April and a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) was imposed against Carroll on 14 May. The order, which lasts for five years after he is released from prison, restricts his association with three people including some of those involved in the case and ownership of communication devices.

Scots arrested as cyber attack website shut down

A website blamed for more than four million cyber attacks across the world has been shut down.

Two men Scotland were among seven people arrested, while an address in West Yorkshire – linked to attacks on seven of the UK’s biggest banks last year – was searched. Other arrests were made in Serbia, the Netherlands, Croatia and Hong Kong, while servers were seized in Germany as the service was shut down on Wednesday.

Europol said the website was considered the world’s biggest seller of so-called distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks, in which high volumes of internet traffic are launched at target computers to disable them.

Alistair Ash was found guilty of being involved in the supply of drugs after a trial in 2016 and was jailed for three years. The court heard that police found nearly 580 cannabis plants and a sophisticated hydroponics system at a warehouse he owned.

Separately, a painter and decorator who admitted supplying cocaine and cannabis has been ordered to pay £70,000 after a confiscation order was granted at Hamilton Sheriff Court in April. Steven Reilly, 49, was jailed for 15 months in 2017 after he pled guilty to two offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

A confiscation order for nearly £24,000 has been granted for Stephen Nisbet, 49, who was convicted of producing cannabis in 2016.

Separately Morrison Baxter has been given six months to pay £14,000 after a confiscation order was granted at Airdrie Sheriff Court in April. Baxter, 39, admitted being involved in the supply of drugs in 2017.

Jail for drug trafficker

A 41 year old man who tried to traffic cocaine worth nearly £200,000 has been jailed for six years.

Jason Lindsay admitted being concerned in the supply of drugs at the High Court in Edinburgh on 3 May 2018. The offence was aggravated by a connection with serious organised crime.

A court order designed to prevent Lindsay returning to crime when he is released from jail was also imposed. The order will place restrictions on Lindsay’s ability to travel to Scotland and the number of communication devices he owns.

]]>https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2018/05/31/taskforce-update-april-may-2018/feed/0GDPR – a change to data protection lawhttps://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2018/05/24/gdpr-a-change-to-data-protection-law/
Thu, 24 May 2018 14:59:35 +0000https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/?p=232The General Data Protection Regulations comes into force on May 25, 2018, giving individuals more control over their personal data, and ensuring that organisations collect and process that information properly and securely. To find out more about GDPR, visit the Information Commissioner’s website.

]]>The General Data Protection Regulations comes into force on May 25, 2018, giving individuals more control over their personal data, and ensuring that organisations collect and process that information properly and securely. To find out more about GDPR, visit the Information Commissioner’s website.

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To find out more about how we handle your personal data, please read our updated privacy policy.

]]>Taskforce update – February & March 2018https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2018/04/04/taskforce-update-february-march-2018/
https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2018/04/04/taskforce-update-february-march-2018/#respondWed, 04 Apr 2018 09:44:59 +0000https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/?p=216Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Orders Four men have been jailed for a total of nearly 30 years for holding workers in servitude and other offences including abduction and assault. Robert McPhee, 65, and John Miller, 38, were jailed for 10 and seven years respectively and received Scotland’s first Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Orders (TEPOs) after...

Four men have been jailed for a total of nearly 30 years for holding workers in servitude and other offences including abduction and assault.

Robert McPhee, 65, and John Miller, 38, were jailed for 10 and seven years respectively and received Scotland’s first Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Orders (TEPOs) after being found guilty of the offences which spanned decades. James McPhee, 45, was also convicted of abduction and sentenced to nine years imprisonment.

The TEPOs mean that, for five years after release from prison, McPhee and Miller are restricted in who they can employ, the property they can use and the number of communication devices they can own, among other things.

More information on efforts to tackling human trafficking is available in the Scottish Government’s latest newsletter.

Illicit tobacco seizure

A man has been charged as part of an ongoing HMRC investigation into a suspected £500,000 tobacco fraud. Illicit cigarettes were discovered by Border Force on a trailer which arrived at Rosyth Dockyard from Belgium earlier this month. A 48-year-old man has been arrested and charged with evasion of excise duty.

Separately, more than eight kilos of illegal tobacco and 6,000 illicit cigarettes were seized by HMRC, with support from Trading Standards, immigration enforcement and Police Scotland in Edinburgh.

The visits to retail premises were made as part of HMRC’s Tobacco Taskforce activity and led to the seizure of suspect illicit tobacco products worth more than £3,500.

Cheryl Burr, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £2.5 billion a year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.”

Cyber fraud

More than £7 million has been stolen from businesses and individuals as Police Scotland investigate 19 separate cyber-enabled frauds. Police are urging the public to be alert for the frauds, generally orchestrated by organised criminal gangs operating in the UK or overseas.

The crimes are broken down into three categories – phishing, vishing and smishing – all involving attempts to get personal information by contacting the victim via email, telephone or text message. Police are reminding the public that banks will not contact individuals to ask for personal information or carry out a transaction.

A separate phone banking scam has resulted in residents of Tayside losing around £750,000. Fraudsters phone their victim, claim to be members of the bank’s fraud team and encourage them to transfer money to a fictitious ‘safe’ account.

Targeting gang vehicles

Vehicles linked to rival gangs in the west of Scotland have been seized by Police Scotland as part of efforts to disrupt serious crime.

A total of 28 cars owned by crime gang have been immobilised by officers working with the DVLA which identifies vehicles which are untaxed and uninsured.

Detective Superintendent Kenny Graham said: “Our aim is to disrupt the day-to-day activities of organised crime groups and their families in their own backyards. We’re also working with the HMRC, DVLA and DWP to target their legitimate businesses, assets, possessions and unexplained wealth.”

Anthony Shrimpton, 39, was found guilty of directing serious organised crime and three counts of supplying drugs. Lee Shrimpton, 37, John Campbell, 49, and Harald Reid, 25, admitted supplying drugs, offences which were linked to serious organised crime, while Elliot Edwards, 22, admitted an offence under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

A Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) was also imposed against Anthony Shrimpton. The order, which lasts for five years after release from prison, places restriction on his travel to Scotland and on association with seven named people.

Crimestoppers

A campaign has been launched in Glasgow by Crimestoppers, in partnership with Police Scotland, to raise awareness of serious organised crime and the harm it can do to communities and businesses.

The social media campaign, focused on the Greater Glasgow area, asks people to contact Crimestoppers anonymously if they have any information about activity linked to serious organised crime.

£500k drugs seizure

Drugs worth around half a million pounds have been seized by Police Scotland after an intelligence-led operation in Cardonald.

A significant amount of heroin, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines were found, along with other drugs, during the raid in February. Two men and a woman were arrested and have appeared in court.

Business engagement

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre has been working with Police Scotland and the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) on engaging with businesses which may be vulnerable to serious organised crime groups. Initial talks have discussed the idea of a Trusted Trader style scheme for the haulage industry, to promote best practice and work better to secure their business sector.

Work with the PRA is also looking at tackling hand car washes which may be involved in human trafficking, and how awareness can be raised among key investors and stakeholders.

Third sector resource

The role of the third sector in helping to deter serious organised crime, and reducing the harm it causes, is the subject of a new resource produced by the Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector Forum, in partnership with the Taskforce.

The new document provides a starting point for managers, trustees and staff teams to discuss their organisation’s own exposure to the risks posed by serious organised crime, and consider what can be done to address these risks.

Confiscation orders

Two men who admitted being involved in the supply of heroin worth more than £100,000 have been ordered to repay the proceeds of their criminal activity. Shaun Watson and Kristopher O’Malley were jailed for six and a half years each in June last year after they admitted directing others in the supply of drugs.

Watson has now been ordered to repay £17,000 of money made through criminal gains, and O’Malley will have to repay more than £14,000, after confiscation orders were granted against the pair.

Counterfeit crime

Illicit and counterfeit goods worth more than £680,000 have been seized in North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire over three months. It is the third time in as many years that Trading Standards officers have assisted Police Scotland officers to target serious and organised criminals by disrupting their legitimate activity while targeting their illegal operations.

North Lanarkshire Council Assistant Chief Executive Robert Steenson, who sits on the Taskforce, said: “Organised crime is a real and present danger in many communities and poses a significant threat to legitimate businesses.

“These groups have no morals, have no regard for the public and will attempt to infiltrate any target they can make money from. The SOCT and all its partner agencies will continue working with both the wider public and legitimate businesses to tackle this blight in areas right across Scotland.”

Money mules

Police Scotland is warning people not to fall into the trap of becoming a ‘mule’ for money laundering by the offer of quick cash.

In 2017 there was a 105% rise in the number of people being used as money mules – facilitating laundering of transferred cash through their personal bank accounts – in the UK. More than half are aged under 30, with students and the unemployed being particularly vulnerable to being used as mules.

Money mules are recruited through bogus online job adverts and can be asked to transfer money on behalf of people or withdraw funds and send it overseas using money transfer services. Penalties for involvement in money laundering can include up to 14 years in prison and difficulty obtaining finance in the future.

VAT fraud

Assets worth more than £2.5 million have been recovered from a man linked to an extensive VAT fraud on a global scale. Land, properties, bank accounts, jewellery and cash belonging to Ronnie Decker are among the assets being handed over to the Crown.

The Crown’s Civil Recovery Unit (CRU) secured forfeiture of the assets in April 2016 but Decker raised a legal challenge to keep some of the items.

The assets, held in various countries including France and Antigua, will now be handed over after the case settled out of court.

Neighbourhood Watch

An alert warning communities about fraudsters claiming to be from HMRC has reached nearly 20,000 people. The localised report from Neighbourhood Watch Scotland gave details of the specific scam and methods used.

Neighbourhood Watch Scotland has seen a 37% growth in membership, and creation of 98 new watches, over the last 12 months. Neighbourhood ALERTS send out targeted information on a range of topics, including crimes commonly used by organised groups.

]]>https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2018/04/04/taskforce-update-february-march-2018/feed/0Taskforce update – December 2017 & January 2018https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2018/02/08/taskforce-update-december-2017-january-2018/
https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2018/02/08/taskforce-update-december-2017-january-2018/#respondThu, 08 Feb 2018 16:32:59 +0000https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/?p=182Crime gang jailed Nine members of an organised crime gang have been jailed for a total of nearly 90 years after one of the most complex prosecutions of serious organised crime in Scottish history. Serious crime prevention orders have also been granted against seven of the men, with two more due to be decided next...

Nine members of an organised crime gang have been jailed for a total of nearly 90 years after one of the most complex prosecutions of serious organised crime in Scottish history.

Serious crime prevention orders have also been granted against seven of the men, with two more due to be decided next month. The orders impose significant and stringent restrictions on their activities, including travel outside Scotland, associating with other named people, owning phones and computers and vehicle use.

“I am grateful to the officers and staff of Police Scotland, the Crown Office and SPA Forensic Services for their excellent work in bringing these individuals to justice. It is testament to the expertise and professionalism of our law enforcement agencies, and of course the willingness of members of the public to support them in keeping communities safe.”

Human trafficking

Further action to end human trafficking in Scotland is at the top of the agenda for the latest Serious Organised Crime Taskforce meeting.

The Taskforce, jointly chaired by Justice Secretary Michael Matheson and the Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC, met at the Scottish Crime Campus to discuss an increase in trafficking referrals from Scotland to the National Referral Mechanism.

The first nine months of 2017 saw 155 referrals, a 43% increase on the same period the previous year. This follows a range of recent activity on trafficking, including Scotland’s first strategy to effectively deal with perpetrators and support victims, new orders to ban suspects from a range of activity and an awareness-raising campaign to highlight the scale of the issue.

International security and collaboration

Collaboration in tackling cross-border crime was discussed at a meeting between the Lord Advocate and European Commissioner for the Security Union.

James Wolffe QC met Julian King at the Scottish Crime Campus to showcase some of the innovative ways Scotland’s law enforcement works together to investigate and prosecute crime. The Lord Advocate emphasised the value to Scottish law enforcement agencies of current Europe-wide arrangements to meet the challenges posed by transnational crime.

The visit came the same week as the Lord Advocate delivered a speech in Brussels, giving a Scottish perspective on tackling transnational crime.

Preventing serious organised crime

Practical measures for businesses and public sector organisations to protect against the threat of organised crime was the focus of a special conference in North Lanarkshire in December.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson and Chief Superintendent John McKenzie opened the two-day course at Coatbridge.

Three men linked to serious organised crime have been jailed for a total of over 20 years for dealing heroin and cocaine. Mark Simpson, 47, Steven Vidgen, 38, and Lee Wallace, 39, were found with class-A drugs worth more than £100,000 in Aberdeen.

Police raided a property on Hutcheon Court on 22 July 2016 and arrested the men. The arrests followed a covert surveillance operation which recorded Vidgen and Wallace selling drugs at a city park close to families enjoying the park and children playing.

Reaching out to young offenders

More than 200 young offenders at HMYOI Polmont have taken part in an educational programme but together by Scottish Prison Service and Police Scotland. The project aims to educate young offenders on a range of topics to challenge and alter pre-existing perceptions and behaviours. Working with groups of between seven and 12 each day, the course is available to everyone within the prison.

Subjects covered include substance misuse, serious organised crime, anti-bullying, knife crime, understanding consent and domestic abuse. The course aims to raise awareness of how certain behaviours are criminal and how their actions affect the local community.

The course has a 75% completion rate. It is due to be extended to HMP Low Moss and HMP Grampian, and it is hoped the programme will be extended even further.

Investigating financial crime

Fraud and financial investigation was the focus of the inaugural Economic Crime and Financial Investigators course which ran at the Scottish Police College for ten days in December.

Police officers from across Scotland were trained by specialists on new and innovative approaches to financial investigation.

Training was coordinated by the new Economic Crime and Financial Investigation Unit, which sits within the Specialist Crime Division and at the frontline of tackling major criminals and impacting on serious and organised crime and terrorism.

Crime prevention order for drug dealer

A man caught with drugs and firearms has been given an order designed to prevent him returning to crime when he is released from jail. William Wilson was jailed for five years last month after he admitted two of charges of supplying drugs and two firearms offences.

The court heard that the 37-year-old had been found with heroin worth nearly £135,000 and cannabis resin with an estimated value of more than £53,000. Wilson was also found with an illegal firearm, a bolt action rifle, and ammunition in August last year.

Tobacco and cigarette fraud

Two people have been charged as part of an ongoing investigation by HMRC into a suspected £300,000 illicit tobacco and cigarette fraud.

The investigation was launched after a number of HMRC officers searched a residential address in Glasgow in January.

About 90,000 cigarettes and one tonne of loose tobacco were seized at the address in Glasgow. A 47-year-old man and 43-year-old woman have been charged and remanded in custody.

Confiscation orders

A 39-year-old man from Liverpool has been ordered to repay nearly £40,000 after he was convicted of being concerned in the supply of drugs. Ian Austin was jailed for nearly five years in November after he was caught with cannabis resin worth more than £300,000.
His co-accused, Daniel Adams, 25, from Aberdeen, was given a confiscation order for £2,300. He was jailed for three years and seven months for the same offence.

Criminal finances Act

The power of law enforcement to tackle financial crime has been strengthened with introduction of unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) under the Criminal Finances Act 2017.
The orders, which came into force at the end of January, expands powers to seize suspected criminal property without prosecution.

Courts can issue UWOs for property worth £50,000 or more if there is reasonable cause to believe the person holding the property bought it with criminal money. Applications can be made for a UWO without notice to the person suspected of involvement in serious organised crime.

Financial investigators within Police Scotland have received training from the Crown’s Civil Recovery Unit (CRU) ahead of the changes.

Prison for moving drug money

A man has been jailed for trying to send nearly £230,000 of illegally acquired cash to England. Kevin Foley was sentenced to four years imprisonment at Glasgow High Court in January after previously admitting an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Police received information that a significant quantity of cash linked to drug dealing was to be transported to England on 23 October 2014. Foley, 47, delivered a suitcase full of cash to a woman who was due to drive it south, but the car was intercepted by police at a motorway service station.

Illicit trade

The Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group (SAITG) launched an initiative to highlight the dangers of illicit and counterfeit goods to the public in December. The group chairman, Kenny MacAskill, Police Scotland and the Scottish Business Resilience Centre launched the initiative in Falkirk.

The channelling of profits to serious crime gangs linked with drugs and human trafficking, use of child labour and dangerous substances used in production of counterfeit goods are among the issues being highlighted to the public.

Drug recovery

Class A drugs worth nearly £130,000 have been seized during an operation in Aberdeen city centre. Acting on intelligence, CID officers recovered significant quantities of heroin and cocaine last month. A 37-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with the recovery.

]]>https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2018/02/08/taskforce-update-december-2017-january-2018/feed/0Taskforce update – October/November 2017https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/11/29/taskforce-update-octobernovember-2017/
https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/11/29/taskforce-update-octobernovember-2017/#respondWed, 29 Nov 2017 12:40:09 +0000https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/?p=156Drugs sentencing Two men have been convicted after 100kg cannabis resin, with a street value of £325,000, was seized by police. Daniel Adams, 25, and Ian Austin, 39, admitted being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs at the High Court in Glasgow in October. The drugs were found after a vehicle was stopped on...

Two men have been convicted after 100kg cannabis resin, with a street value of £325,000, was seized by police. Daniel Adams, 25, and Ian Austin, 39, admitted being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs at the High Court in Glasgow in October. The drugs were found after a vehicle was stopped on the M74 near Cumbernauld last year as part of Operation Lashka.

Ryan Stewart, 41, has been jailed for 40 months after he admitted being involved in the supply of cocaine. Acting on intelligence, police stopped his car as he travelled between Glasgow and Dundee on 7 March 2017 and he was found with drugs worth an estimated £400,000.

Cyber Resilience

Scotland’s public sector will be better protected against cyber-attacks following the publication of a new action plan.

The Public Sector Action Plan on Cyber Resilience will encourage all public bodies to implement the same baseline standards of cyber-security in their organisations, including active threat intelligence sharing, clear cyber-incident response protocols and appropriate independent assurance that critical protection against the most common forms of attack is in place.

Hugh Aitken as the Chair of the National Cyber Resilience Leaders’ Board said:

“We’re all familiar with the significance of cyber-attacks and recognise just how important it is that we stay vigilant and do whatever we can to get on the front foot.

Illicit goods meeting

The Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, met recently with members of the Scottish Anti-illicit Trade Group at Grangemouth Rugby Club to hear about their work in reducing the harm caused by illicit and counterfeit goods and how they are working to protect legitimate businesses and jobs. Money generated by the sale of these goods can help support those intent on peddling misery in our communities and the SAITG makes a valuable contribution in implementing Scotland’s SOC Strategy.

Proceeds of Crime

Two men have been jailed for proceeds of crime offences. Tariq Rafiq was caught with a holdall containing more than £99,000 following a police operation in Glasgow in 2015. He had been given the holdall by Robert McCutcheon, who was also caught with £62,000 and 15,000 Euros at a property in Paisley as part of the same operation.

Rafiq, 52, anc McCutheon, 31, pled guilty in September and were sentenced to 21 months and 33 months in jail respectively at Glasgow Sheriff Court on October 10.

Working with universities

A presentation on serious organised crime was delivered to the senior management team at the University of Strathclyde in October. DI Hutton and DC Nisbet covered areas including cybercrime, modern slavery and fraud within public bodies.

With a capital investment plan of around £650 million over ten years, the university recognises the need to be aware of the risks from serious organised crime, and the best ways to mitigate that risk.

New regulations will strengthen the action that can be taken against prisoners, by using network technology to block active phones in prison, and introducing court orders to remove certain phones from the network entirely.

Mr Matheson said: “The unauthorised use of mobile phones in prisons potentially presents a serious threat to both the security of prisons and the wider public.”

Drugs and weapon seizure

Two men have appeared in court after a firearm and drugs worth nearly £130,000 were seized by police.
The items, and a five-figure sum of cash, were discovered by police at properties in Edinburgh on 26 October. Two men, aged 23 and 24, have appeared in court in relation to the offence.

Counterfeit goods

Glasgow City Council’s Trading Standards Team seized counterfeit Metallica t-shirts from outside the Hydro concert venue after the band’s gig there at the end of October.

A man who admitted supplying heroin and cocaine in Glasgow has been ordered to repay £100,000.

Peter Fox, 42, was jailed for eight years in December 2016 after he admitted two drugs offences which were linked with serious organised crime.

An investigation found he had acquired a range of luxury items including designer watches and a Mercedes.

In a separate case, cannabis supplier Andy Chun Mak was ordered to repay £11,200 on 2 October, after cash was found in his car during a police raid. Mak has already repaid £60,000 of the £468,000 he couldn’t account for in 2012.

County Lines

Crimestoppers Scotland are piloting a County Lines campaign in Aberdeen, where organised criminals from London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham are expanding their operations.

The campaign involves tackling drug dealers who set up drug networks outside their usual area of operation. This can often involve recruiting vulnerable adults and children to act as couriers, and setting up base in the rural home of a vulnerable person.

The campaign will encourage local people to ‘spot the signs’ and report anonymously, while also working with agencies which have direct contact with vulnerable/at risk people in the community.

Sale of unlicensed drugs

A new Police Scotland strategy to tackle online sales of unlicensed lifestyle drugs will measure success on the reduction in public harm rather than seizures or arrests.

Police Scotland and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority are developing algorithms to see what people are searching for online, and where those searches are coming from. The new approach will develop a response which is tailored to and suitable for Scotland, which has different drug issues to the rest of the UK, according to the Herald.

Brakes on unsafe car sales

Second hand car sales have been the target of a campaign by North Lanarkshire Council and Police Scotland to help ensure vehicles being purchased are safe for people to drive.

Trading Standards and Police officers inspected a number of independent dealerships selling second hand cars, resulting in a number of vehicles being immediately removed from sale.

Robert Steenson, DETER lead officer with the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce said: “Serious Organised Crime Groups are often associated with the used car trade. Selling used cars with safety problems can have very serious consequences for drivers, their passengers, other road users and pedestrians.”

Illegal car washes

Members of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre met with the Chair of the Petrol Retailers Association to look at ways they can work together to tackle illegal car washes.

The spread of hand carwashes results in significant losses to petrol retailers and the way they are operated raises significant questions about legality, in relation to employee rights and the environment. Research has shown that the fees they charge would make them unsustainable unless operated outside of the law. This suggests a link to human trafficking and illegal working practices with gang-masters operating carwashes across the country, moving staff from site to site, paying little or no wages, providing no suitable clothing and failing to ensure the correct disposal methods for waste water and chemicals.

Supporting communities

Neighbourhood Watch Scotland has established 80 new community watches since 2017 as membership has risen by 22%. Development continues on the targeted Neighbourhood ALERT system which ensures the right information gets to the right people at the right time, including advice on reporting and avoiding the types of crimes which have links to serious organised crime gangs.

A footprint has now been established across all Police Scotland divisions which has seen an increase in ALERT use across Scotland, in a localised and targeted manner. Since September 89 ALERTS have been sent out across Scotland, to 121,543 people who can then go out and spread the information further.

]]>https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/11/29/taskforce-update-octobernovember-2017/feed/0How can a Hacker be Ethical?https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/10/20/can-hacker-ethical/
https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/10/20/can-hacker-ethical/#respondFri, 20 Oct 2017 12:14:59 +0000https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/?p=148This is a question that I am often asked as the Chief Ethical Hacker for SBRC. That and “What’s ethical about hacking”. Hopefully I can answer these questions and the work that we do at SBRC will show how important this field is to the resilience of businesses. With what seems to be an increasing...

]]>This is a question that I am often asked as the Chief Ethical Hacker for SBRC. That and “What’s ethical about hacking”. Hopefully I can answer these questions and the work that we do at SBRC will show how important this field is to the resilience of businesses.

With what seems to be an increasing regularity we are seeing more and more press reports of organisations losing data in hacks, for instance only last month it was revealed that Equifax, the large American consumer credit reporting agency, had been breached and 143 million users had had their data compromised. The data lost included the all important Social Security Numbers of millions of Americans along with many other personal identifiable information. Not only is this a huge embarrassment for the company causing large reputational damage, but they will also likely now face a number of law suits as people look to get some compensation from the company. The real damage however is faced by the people who have had their data stolen in this hack. The details of the 143 million will likely be sold on the dark web for years to come, allowing criminals to steal identities and credit cards, with many victims not noticing until it is too late.

What needs to be remembered though, is that it is not only large organisations that are targets of criminals or “black hat” hackers. We are all targets. Although some “black hats” will look to compromise large companies, either for financial gain, or just to prove that they can, most will go after any target. Generally speaking it is much easier to target a smaller business or organisation than it is to go after one of the “big” guys. The reason being smaller companies can not afford to spend as much on their defences or think they are not a target so do not spend as much time on cyber security.

Often it is said that attack is the best form of defence and in terms of cyber security this adage rings true. How can an organisation or individual really know how good their cyber defences are without testing them? This is where a “white hat” or Ethical hacker comes in to help.

An Ethical Hackers role is to test the systems of an organisation to find the weak points and vulnerabilities that may be exploited. They then report these findings to the organisation to allow them to fix the issues and help protect themselves. An Ethical Hacker will have the permission of the organisation prior to commencing any work on their behalf. Included in this permission will be a “scope”. The scope outlines the areas in a system and the type of work that the Ethical Hacker can test. The work carried out by the Ethical Hacker will emulate the way in which a black hat hacker will gather information and attack a victim and remains confidential between the two parties.

There are many companies out there that can provide these services.

In addition to the testing that the Ethical Hacking team carries out at SBRC we also do our best to raise awareness of the issues around Cyber Security and try to educate people and organisations in the types of things that they can do to help secure themselves and their data. There is no one product or service that will make you 100% secure online, but there are many simple steps that can be taken to help make you safer.

In my opinion, it is vital that we all take steps to secure ourselves online. Not only to protect ourselves but also to protect our customers, suppliers and reputation. The introduction of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) will see a focus put on organisations to protect the data of the public. I believe that orgainisations have a responsibility to protect the information that we trust them with. So, how can it be Ethical to NOT employ the services of a hacker?

The SBRC works closely with Police Scotland and Scottish Government in trying to make Scotland a more resilient and safer place to live and work online. To find out more about the work of The SBRC visit our website www.sbrcentre.co.uk or email the Cyber team cyber@sbrcentre.co.uk.

]]>https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/10/20/can-hacker-ethical/feed/0Taskforce update – August/September 2017https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/10/10/taskforce-update-augustseptember-2017/
https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/10/10/taskforce-update-augustseptember-2017/#respondTue, 10 Oct 2017 10:21:20 +0000https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/?p=95A summary of some of the work being done by partners to keep Scotland’s communities safe. The work falls under four strands – Deter, Divert, Detect and Disrupt. Serious Organised Crime Taskforce The way proceeds of crime legislation is being used to tackle serious organised crime was the topic of the latest Taskforce meeting...

]]>A summary of some of the work being done by partners to keep Scotland’s communities safe. The work falls under four strands – Deter, Divert, Detect and Disrupt.

Serious Organised Crime Taskforce

The way proceeds of crime legislation is being used to tackle serious organised crime was the topic of the latest Taskforce meeting at the Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh. Hosted by the Justice Secretary Michael Matheson, and Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC, the SOCT heard that new powers to seize criminal gains, and new powers coming into effect in January, are making it easier to seize money, assets and property from serious criminals.

Deter lead Robert Steenson discusses how organised crime can infiltrate all areas of society and how everyone should be aware of the steps they can take to try and prevent it. Cybercrime, counterfeit clothing, illegal sales of cigarettes, alcohol and food crime are all key areas often targeted by crime gangs. Robert explains the detrimental effect this can have on communities across Scotland and also how organised crime groups target public and third sector procurement contracts to boost their illegal earnings.

Portrayal of Serious Organised Crime

Director for Action for Children in Scotland, and Divert Lead, Paul Carberry spoke at about the portrayal of serious organised crime at Glasgow City Council’s Safe City Summit in September. Re-emphasising the message in a blog, he said “one of the biggest challenges we all face is the portrayal of organised crime being a glamorous lifestyle”.

A new report on the role of communications around serious organised crime was published last month. The study looks at how to improve the language used to describe SOC to reduce demand, victimisation and fear. A toolkit for communicators has also been produced to improve the way we raise awareness of serious organised crime in Scotland.

New cyber service

A new security service to help employees safeguard their emails against the potential damage of a cyber-attack has been launched by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC). The new SwiftPass software proactively monitors business email accounts to instantly alert when their passwords have been lost in a data breach. It also monitors various websites where hackers commonly post details of stolen usernames and passwords, and can search the internet for keywords to help businesses watch what is being said about them online.

Intellectual property crime

The annual report from the IP Crime Group has highlighted some of the good work being done across Scotland to tackle intellectual property crime.

Glasgow City Council Trading Standards teams were highlighted for their work attending concerts and major events like football games to curtail the sale of counterfeit goods to concert goers. Fake products have been seized at a number of events, including the recent Eminem gig, and the officers’ presence acts as a deterrent to more goods being sold.

The Trading Standards team at Moray Council was also pinpointed for investigations into the supply of fake branded goods over Facebook including perfumes, clothes, electrical items and accessories. Three sellers have been reported to the Procurator Fiscal as a result of the investigations.

Find out more about other work to tackle illicit trade, including the first ever recovery of counterfeit cigarettes with the new plain packaging, with the Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group newsletter.

SOC presentation in Poland

Detective Inspector Ricky Hutton spoke about Scotland’s approach to deterring serious organised crime, corruption, bribery and fraud in Poland last month when he was invited to speak at the 16th XV1 International Conference in Krakow. He shared knowledge to help auditors, internal controllers and corporate boards in the prevention and detection of fraud and corruption.

Drugs seizures

Two men have appeared in court after 20kg of heroin, worth around £2 million, was seized in Stirling. Police also recovered 40kg of tobacco in the raid on a business property at Bandeath Industrial Estate on September 28.

Officers recovered heroin, cannabis resin and cocaine with an estimated street value of £376,000 in Dundee on 31 August. Four men were arrested.

The same day over 100 cannabis plants, worth over £80,000, were recovered by officers from Dunfermline Community and Violence Reduction Unit at an address in Fife. One man was arrested.

The next day Greater Glasgow Division Proactive Unit recovered a large quantity of herbal cannabis, with an estimated street value of £360,000. Two men were arrested.

On 12 September, a cannabis cultivation of over 430 plants, with an estimated street value of £174,000 was recovered in Glasgow. Two men were arrested.

Human trafficking

Police Scotland hosted a conference on human trafficking at the Scottish Police College on September 13. The UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner addressed delegates and other speakers included the National Crime Agency, Scottish Government and NSPCC. Alex Mvuka also shared his story of how he survived being trafficked and overcame his past.

Cyber fraud

Businesses are being urged to protect themselves against cyber fraud after scams claimed nearly £5 million from companies across the country. The fraudsters call business claiming to be from their bank, use software to change numbers to make the call appear genuine and send fake emails. The Highland Hospice is among the victims which also include companies in Fife, Glasgow and Ayshire.

Proceeds of crime

A man who admitted dealing in cocaine has been told he must pay back nearly £300,000 from the proceeds of his criminal actions. John Farrell will have to pay the money back after a confiscation order was granted at Glasgow Sheriff Court on August 29.

Crimestoppers

Crimestoppers has received a record number of reports from members of the public in Scotland over the past 12 months. A total of 12,233 calls came in between April 2016 and March 2017, a 21% increase on the previous year. From those calls, around 9,100 pieces of information were actioned by law enforcement.

Drug convictions

Two brothers have been jailed for a total of 12 years for their role in the supply of cocaine worth almost £1.3 million. Garry and Harry Davidson were arrested as part of Operation Hellfire in Aberdeen, instigated by the Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit.

A man caught with cocaine worth around £400,000 at his home was jailed for five years at the High Court in Edinburgh on August 8. Calum Morrison was caught as part of Police Scotland’s Operation Prospect in Fife.

Cyber security for small businesses

Every day businesses throughout Scotland fall victim to cyber attacks or scams, which can have considerable and long lasting impacts, from financial to loss of customer confidence.

That’s why the Scottish Business Resilience Centre and Police Scotland have produced a new leaflet which aims to give small businesses useful tips and advice on how to stay safe, secure and resilient to the threat posed by cyber crime. The leaflet titled “Cyber Security For Small Business – What You Can Do To Keep Your Business Safe Secure and Resilient” is available on the Scottish Business Resilience Centre website.

Training at HMP Grampian

A pilot scheme delivering teambuilding and leadership training in prison has been extended to HMP Grampian. The course engages with people who have been linked to, or at risk from serious organised crime (as well as those involved in knife crime), supporting them to break the cycle of offending. With the first course now held, this will be offered to female prisoners in October.

]]>https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/10/10/taskforce-update-augustseptember-2017/feed/0Paul Carberry: Organised Crime “needs to be seen as the dirty business it is”https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/09/07/paul-carberry-organised-crime-needs-to-be-seen-as-the-dirty-business-it-is/
https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/09/07/paul-carberry-organised-crime-needs-to-be-seen-as-the-dirty-business-it-is/#respondThu, 07 Sep 2017 15:56:30 +0000https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/?p=85As Director of Action for Children in Scotland and chair of the Divert strand of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, I was asked to speak at Glasgow City Council’s ‘Safe City Summit’. This event brought together a wide range of organisations and stakeholders, from Police Scotland and Fire and Rescue to third sector organisations, who...

]]>As Director of Action for Children in Scotland and chair of the Divert strand of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, I was asked to speak at Glasgow City Council’s ‘Safe City Summit’.

This event brought together a wide range of organisations and stakeholders, from Police Scotland and Fire and Rescue to third sector organisations, who are all working, in partnership, to keep the streets and communities of Glasgow safe.

It was noteworthy that although there were three top police officers from Glasgow on the panel, it was a children’s sector organisation focussing on serious organised crime, which recognises the partnership journey we have been on and the collaborative role we all have to play.

Back in 2011, there was a recognition amongst all partner organisations that organised crime was a problem you couldn’t just arrest your way out of. Here in Glasgow, a collaboration between the council’s social work department, Police Scotland and Action for Children resulted in the UK’s first service with the aim of diverting young people from becoming involved in organised crime and using its products.

It is through that type of partnership work that has resulted in the most success. Whether it is the Wheatley Group building resilience towards organised crime in communities across Glasgow or the Scottish Anti-illicit Trade Group highlighting the dangers of buying and using counterfeit goods, there are many examples of great work being undertaken by organisations in the city.

But one of the biggest challenges we all face is the portrayal of organised crime being a glamourous lifestyle. This perception is not helped when criminals are pictured posing with guns or attention is drawn to the wealth they have spent on luxury houses and top of the range cars.

To some young people, there is an appeal in this which is then incredibly difficult to break down. But we work with them to convince them that there is another way and a chance for a better future – one that doesn’t rely on crime or the proceeds of it.

Early intervention and prevention works but we need to invest in it. We also need a national conversation around how organised crime is portrayed as we need to shatter the myth that it is a glamourous lifestyle. It needs to be seen as the dirty business it is.

]]>https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/09/07/paul-carberry-organised-crime-needs-to-be-seen-as-the-dirty-business-it-is/feed/0Taskforce Update – June & July 2017https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/08/15/taskforce-update-june-july-2017/
https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/2017/08/15/taskforce-update-june-july-2017/#respondTue, 15 Aug 2017 09:13:57 +0000https://blogs.gov.scot/tackling-serious-organised-crime/?p=68A summary of some of the work being done by partners to keep Scotland’s communities safe. The work falls under four strands – Deter, Divert, Detect and Disrupt. Deter Profiting from animal lovers Puppy traffickers try to exploit the popularity of ‘designer dogs’ to make maximum profit with minimum effort, often to the suffering of...

]]>A summary of some of the work being done by partners to keep Scotland’s communities safe. The work falls under four strands – Deter, Divert, Detect and Disrupt.

Deter

Profiting from animal lovers

Puppy traffickers try to exploit the popularity of ‘designer dogs’ to make maximum profit with minimum effort, often to the suffering of the animals.

In the latest case a 54-year-old man from Airdrie banned from keeping animals for ten years after he was found guilty of ten charges of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs and selling them without a licence. Proceeds of crime proceedings are now underway after he was found with assets of over £1.2 million.

Tackling the crime means tackling demand and raising awareness of the health and behavioural issues which are common in puppy-farmed animals which have suffered neglect and abuse. Being a pedigree pup does not assure quality and all too quickly consumers can find themselves in a situation where they have to pay, both financially and emotionally for a puppy reared in such circumstances.

With some research, consumers are able to protect themselves and help to stamp out this shameless practice, sending the message that this is unacceptable in Scotland. Trading Standards Scotland has some helpful advice to avoid falling into the traffickers’ trap.

Divert

Building bridges

A project which sees a police officer embedded in a Scottish prison to improve relationships is due to be extended.

More than 200 young men have gone through the pilot scheme at Polmont Young Offenders’ Institution which sees them do teambuilding and leadership training to help them consider the impact of their past actions and turn away from serious organised crime. The course is also available to women at Polmont and is due to start at HMP Low Moss and HMP Grampian prisons shortly.

Detect

Tackling drug supply

More than 50 people were reported to the Procurator Fiscal as part of Operations Bistra, Portable and Jigsaw, aimed at tackling drug supply and organised crime. Police seized more than £40,000 cash, weapons and a significant quantity of drugs. Eight cannabis cultivations were dismantled and a number of dogs were recovered by the Scottish SPCA on welfare grounds.

Policing 2026

Police Scotland have published their vision for the future of policing after one of the most extensive consultations ever undertaken. The Policing 2026 strategy sets out ambitious plans to build the police service that Scotland needs for the future.

The strategy recognises the changing nature of serious and organised crime, with groups moving online to conduct criminal activity, using encrypted communication and technology like 3D printing.

Disrupt

Human trafficking orders

The police and courts now have greater powers to protect the public from perpetrators of human trafficking and exploitation.

Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Orders (TEPOs) can now be used by the courts to impose restrictions on people who have been convicted of trafficking and exploitation offences. This can include stopping someone from employing staff, working with children/vulnerable people or travelling to certain countries for a minimum of five years. Breaching a TEPO will be a criminal offence.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has also announced that protection for victims of human trafficking will be doubled to at least 90 days. The extended period of support, made after consultation with victims’ groups and justice agencies, will be three times longer than the Council of Europe minimum.

Serious Crime Prevention Orders

Scotland’s first ever SCPO was issued to Fife woman Isabella Jackson who was sentenced to 45 months imprisonment for death threats to Prime Minister Theresa May, while she was Home Secretary, and bomb threats to a number of well-known locations. After her release there will be restrictions on her possession of telephone devices and she must notify police Scotland of any change of device and all online and social media accounts she has.

An order to restrict the electronic devices drug dealer and gun supplier Dean Kimmins from Glasgow can possess for five years was granted after his release from jail. His devices must not be encrypted and must be made available to police on request along with his passwords, PINs and user names.

Procurator Fiscal for serious casework Andrew Laing said: “SCPOs are an effective tool for prosecutors to seek, in order to disrupt the activities of those who have been involved in serious crime and help prevent further serious crime occurring. We will continue to seek these court orders in appropriate cases. We have secured two orders recently and we anticipate further applications for orders being considered by the Scottish court in coming weeks and months.”

Fraudster jailed

A man who orchestrated a highly complex series of mortgage frauds has begun an 11 year jail sentence.

Edwin McLaren, 52, conned dozens of victims over the course of several years and was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow on 29 charges after a successful prosecution case. Targeting those who may have been in financial difficulty, he convinced them to sign over their homes before duping them into transferring the proceeds of the sale to a bank account he controlled.

Cash from the fraud was then used as deposit for the next fraudulent purchase.

Deputy Crown Agent Lindsey Miller said:

“It is rare to have a case of such complexity and I want to pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of the team who brought about this successful prosecution and secured justice for the many victims of Edwin McLaren.

“The case was put together first by the painstaking work of colleagues from Police Scotland and then by the expertise of specialist prosecutors from the Crown. The prosecuting team were able to put in front of the jury compelling evidence and the story of a man who was calculated in his deception and showed no remorse for the victims of his deceit.”

Edwin McLaren’s wife, Lorraine McLaren, was convicted of two charges including one of mortgage fraud. She was sentenced to two and half years in prison.

£400,000 confiscation order for pharmacist

Conrad Chau has been ordered to pay £432,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act after he pled guilty to numerous fraud charges.

While owner of the Holburn Pharmacy in Aberdeen in 2013, Chau forged prescriptions to get pharmaceutical manufacturers to send him drugs that he sold on for profit. He pled guilty to 12 charges of fraud, two of attempted fraud and one charge under VAT legislation at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment.